


Impatience is a Virtue

by Zaphrina



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: BAMF Darcy Lewis, Darcy Lewis is Tony Stark's Daughter, F/M, Genius Darcy Lewis, Mutant Darcy Lewis, Mutant Powers, tasertricks - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 03:36:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11394549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zaphrina/pseuds/Zaphrina
Summary: Impatient Darcy Lewis begins her adult life by applying for a Stark Industries scholarship for her to go to Culver University, and her involvement with one Mister Stark and Miss Jane Foster lead her through a series of events that may send her to her untimely demise or show her what real love is when she meets Loki, Thor's slightly homicidal brother. Whatever the case, she's done waiting and just wants life to happen to her. Adventures ensue, because it's not just a love story.





	1. "Get a New Elevator Pitch."

     Darcy Lewis was not a patient woman.

     She would not wait nine months to be born, and decided on eight and a half.

     She did not wait until she was three months old to smile and laugh, she did them at one month.

     She did not wait to speak at eight months, but attempted words at six months.

     She began walking on her first birthday, for she could not spend another day crawling around.

     She began taking apart her toys at eighteen months and putting the parts back together soon after.

     Darcy was never patient, and always had to do things at a more advanced pace than others. If asked, she might say that she that she just had a selfish drive to be better than everyone else since birth, and she might wink to show good humor. But her mother knew that she was genetically predisposed to being advanced in everything.

     That was why twelve-year-old Darcy was homeschooled until she began taking online college courses that year from the living room of the apartment she shared with her mother.

      That was why fourteen year old Darcy called Charles Xavier the very _day_ she discovered she had mutant abilities.

      That was why when she was sixteen, Darcy had two associates degrees in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science and finally asked her mom who her father was.

     “What, you don’t think you got your genius from me?” her mother gave a lighthearted laugh that made her choke on her cigarette smoke. Darcy rolled her eyes and dropped it for the moment. Her mother was smart… Street smart. But Darcy knew that she had some natural level of potential. She half wished that her mutation was enhanced IQ because that would explain a lot, but that wasn’t the case.

     She kept asking until the day before her eighteenth birthday her mom’s other drug habits finally caught up with her. She tried to save her, but Darcy wasn’t a healer… She was too old to go into the foster system, for which she was eternally grateful, but she worked three jobs for the five months it took her to scrounge up all the scholarship money she could, and so she lived at college for as long as she could while she got another degree.

     But Darcy was still impatient. That was why twenty-year-old Darcy completed her dual major Bachelor’s degrees in engineering and physics from MIT in two years, and why she finally applied for the Stark Industries scholarship she’d been eyeing for several months the day she got her diploma. Her scholarships ran out after MIT, and when she decided to do a stint at Culver University to try out her other more political based interests… Well, nobody gave out scholarships to Political Science majors. So, Stark it was.

     Impatient Darcy Lewis applied the second she got back to her dorm after graduation, and in her essay section (because even Tony Stark has to make everyone write essays,) she wrote about how very impatient she was. How she couldn’t wait to get started at MIT and how she couldn’t wait to learn more, and how she _could not wait_ to apply to fifteen scholarships when his one scholarship would give her the same amount of all of them put together because she didn’t have the funds to live in an apartment and was essentially living out of her car and her dorm full time. She couldn’t wait, so she put everything she owned into her mother’s old car and hand delivered it to the Stark Industries secretary in Los Angeles.

     She tapped her foot as the young woman slowly scanned her forms before nodding and putting them into a file organizer to her right.

     “Mister Stark will read this and you will receive a response in several weeks,” Darcy stared as the woman continued to work on her computer and ignored the disheveled girl in front of her. She looked around to see if anybody was seeing her be completely ignored by this pretentious secretary. Nobody was there. So, impatient as she was, she had two options. She could either charm her way into Stark’s office, or intimidate her way there. The secretary had neatly curled dark blonde hair, a pressed button up white, genuine pearl necklace and… a wedding band. So, it wouldn’t be charming her.

     Darcy slammed her palms on the edge of the desk. The woman jumped and looked up indignantly at the student.

     “Look. You didn’t seem to hear me when I spoke to you before I handed you my application. So, let me explain once more why I cannot wait weeks. My mother died when I turned eighteen and I have literally only enough money to keep my car running. I only had enough scholarship money for two years at MIT and I need this scholarship to finish at Culver University. I need you to either tell me right now that I don’t get the money because if that’s the case, I need to go apply for fifteen more scholarships and, also probably start fucking stripping for money, or I need you to bring this to Mister Stark right now because I know that he’s in the last stages of picking an applicant and I need him to see this before he picks. I _need_ this,” Darcy finished through her teeth. The secretary… Martha, her nametag said, rolled her eyes and glared at Darcy.

     “If you’re going to be rude, I might misplace your papers on the way upstairs. But at least then you’ll know that your answer certainly isn’t yes,” Darcy clenched her fists and took a step closer when the woman’s eyes widened. Darcy was proud at making the woman listen, until she heard the voice of the person who was actually frightening her.

     “You don’t have that authority, Martha,” his voice was more tired than she expected, but when you came out as a superhero, you probably got bogged down by press and tabloids, in this case, more than he already was. Darcy turned to face the man holding her future in his hands. Dark, disheveled hair sat atop a tanned, agitated looking face and an impeccable suit.

     “Yes, sir, my apologies,” she looked down and went back to typing one finger at a time on her computer. The sound made Darcy wince, and she could tell Stark wasn’t happy either. As if he noticed her looking, he finally made eye contact with her… And promptly rolled his eyes.

     “Look, I didn’t hear all of that, only that your only other option is stripping and applying for a million other scholarships, so why don’t you get your application from Martha the Glorified Doorman, and you can come into my office?” Impatient Darcy simply nodded, grabbed her application from Martha’s quivering hands, and followed the suited man into an elevator. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “Elevator pitch. You have six floors to tell me why I should give you money. Go.” Darcy could already tell that she liked this fast paced man. She took a deep breath and stood across from him with squared shoulders and a calm half smile on her face.

     “I’m Darcy Lewis, I’m flat broke after getting two associates degrees online and two bachelor’s degrees at MIT, my plan was to get a bachelor’s in PoliSci at Culver University before going for my masters because I’ve learned that I also have interests in politics and having a degree in that could get me a nice government job. I live out of my car and I would do anything to get that degree. You might ask, ‘If you have so many degrees, Darcy, why can’t you just get a job?’ And it’s because I tried, but nobody wants to hire a twenty-year-old, no matter how many degrees, so it’s college or McDonald’s. I don’t care if I have to make you feel bad for me and give me money, I don’t care if have to start stripping or busking or if I have to fill out a thousand scholarships, I have to go to college to start my life off right. Because one day Mister Stark, you’re going to see my face on the television, and if it’s not because I’m a genius scientist/politician changing the world, it’ll be because I was mugged in the back alley behind a shitty apartment I can’t afford.” The doors opened and Stark silently led her into a chair and strolled over across a desk to a rolling leather chair, where he promptly sat and threw his feet onto his desk with practiced ease.

     “If nothing else, you’ve got spunk, kid,” he smirked across at her and she huffed a laugh at his not-answer. “I’m gonna keep this short, because Pepper is going to kill me for intimidating my secretary and I want to get you out of here before that,” he sighed and raised his eyebrows as if saying: ‘women, you know?’ She rolled her eyes at him. “I’ve already picked my three scholarship winners, but I like you and I think I’ll pay for you to go to college out of the goodness of my heart.”

     A rollercoaster would be less up and down than this conversation. First happiness that he thought she had spunk, then despair that he chose his winner, happiness again at the prospect of Stark paying for college, and suspicion at the ‘goodness of my heart’ bit.

     “The goodness of your heart.” Impatient Darcy Lewis didn’t have time for bullshit. “Cut the crap. What’s the catch?”

     “What are your degrees in?”

     “Associate’s in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, and Bachelor’s in Engineering and Physics.”

     He whistled.

     “That’s why I want to let you go to college. Because if someone that smart got into politics, we might not have dumbass presidents and congressmen bullshitting their way through the office. I’d vote for you,” Darcy didn’t know how to react to all of that, but luckily he continued. “The catch, Lewis, is that I want you to work for me. I’ll be paying for your school but you’ll still make a salary. Ten hours a week while you’re at school. I want you to focus on class work and not on actual work, but it’s enough that you’ll have enough experience at the end of it for a good recommendation from both me and Pepper. On breaks if you’re with family you’ll work from your computer, if you’re not with family you’ll be here full time, I’ll pay for housing. You’ll be given a choice after you graduate to continue here or to leave. That’s the catch.”

     “Doesn’t seem like a catch,” she eyed him suspiciously, but he only laughed.

     “Don’t say that just yet. So, is it a yes or a no, Lewis?”

     Impatient Darcy Lewis didn’t let herself think about how crazy it would be working for Iron Man for the foreseeable future.

     “Absolutely.”

     “Glad to be in business with you, Lewis.”

     “You too, Stark,” he laughed loudly and threw his head back. It was nice, she thought, when he didn’t look so tired or cocky.

      “Pepper will meet you downstairs to talk to you about housing and contracts and medical upkeep, I wouldn’t be late,” she nodded and turned, already smiling. “And Lewis? Get a new elevator pitch. Now that you’re an employee at Stark Industries you don’t want anyone to pity you. You pity them. Go get ‘em tiger!”

     She laughed the entire way back downstairs.


	2. "Your Assistant Literally Only Goes to Starbucks, and I Won't Let Him Corrupt You with That"

     Darcy was grateful for how impatient she was, because working for Stark was incredibly fast-paced. Until school started in the fall, she was enrolled in four online summer classes, and spent the rest of her free time in the Stark Industries headquarters.

     She was set up with a small but high quality apartment in a safe neighborhood that was a ten-minute walk away from work. She was technically an unpaid intern until her tax forms and medical history papers went through, along with the blood tests she had to undergo, and a physical. It was all in the contract Miss Potts hashed out for her, even if it did sound a little weird, Darcy wasn’t about to wait any longer than she had to.

     On an ordinary day, Darcy woke up at eight and got ready for work. Miss Potts helped her find affordable work attire until she had enough money to get some nicer threads (of which Darcy was extremely excited. She enjoyed pretty things.) She clocked in at nine thirty after picking up coffee for herself, Miss Potts, and Stark. It wasn’t technically her job, as she wasn’t an assistant, but they took a chance on her, and she would be grateful… Even if it meant going out of her way to find a quality non-Starbucks coffee shop.

     Miss Potts liked to try anything on the menu as long as it was coffee based (the woman detested tea unless it was earl gray or rosehip), and any milk in it had to be almond milk, so Darcy had a fun time exploring the menu. For Stark, she would get two large black coffees with four sugars. She wanted to make fun of him for having so much sugar but refrained since she always got herself whatever she got Miss Potts on any particular day, but with two or three extra sugars. Her work during the summer was a lot of shadowing. She followed Stark around while he worked in his lab or garage, followed Miss Potts if she had time in board and staff meetings, and she sometimes got to hang out with Happy, Stark’s bodyguard. She liked hanging out with Happy, mostly because he liked to talk to her about things like television, or whatever book she was reading that week, where Stark and Miss Potts talked mainly about work or projects and whatnot. And at five, she would walk home and follow the online video and PowerPoints for class before doing homework until eleven. She tried to get in two classes in a day so that she only did class two days a week and could study and do homework the other five days.

     However, this was not an ordinary day. This was going to be her first day of getting paid to work for Stark Industries. So, when Darcy woke at eight that Monday morning in June, she skipped her usual morning ritual of groaning in bed for ten minutes, and turned on her Bluetooth speaker right before she hopped in the shower.

     “I got a feeling that tonight’s gonna be a good night! That tonight’s gonna be a good, good night!” Darcy nodded her head and swayed her hips as she tried to make her shower go faster. She wanted to look extra amazing. Finally getting paid! She finished washing her hair by the time that song was over, and tried to wash her body before the next song ended. _Thankfully,_ Darcy thought as she hurriedly shaved her legs, _Womanizer is a rather long song. Might even finish before it’s ended._

     Twenty minutes later, Darcy was still bopping to the summer’s most upbeat songs and finishing blow-drying her hair. She usually wouldn’t go for the blowout, but it didn’t feel good enough to let it air dry on such an exciting day.

     Breakfast was toaster strudel and a banana as she ran around her little apartment throwing her laptop and pens into her purse for work that day while debating on what to wear. That took decidedly too long, as she even finished her makeup before figuring out what to wear. She ended up wearing a pair of slacks, fitted but not tight, and a black button up with a maroon cardigan thrown into her purse in case it got cold in the building later. Rolled up sleeves once seemed unprofessional, but were necessary as Darcy stepped into the humid air and made her way to the coffee shop she frequented.

     It was called The Grind, and she was on a first name basis with all of the day and night baristas. Kara, a morning worker was at the counter that morning. She worked the morning shift and then did night ER shifts at a hospital nearby. She was already writing up her two large black coffees with four sugars when Darcy walked up.

     “What’ll it be today, Darcy?” she was young but had a tired face, and Darcy smiled back at her. She knew that every day it had to be something new.

     “Hit me with two medium Mexican Coffee’s one with one sugar, one with three,” a nod and a little scribbling noise as it was written down, and in moments Darcy had paid and was walking away with a tray full of coffee. She tucked her earbuds into her ears and let Shakira and Beyonce serenade her the rest of the walk over.

     It was a habit at this point: Walk in, show ID, put down coffee and purse, walk through metal detector, pick up purse and coffee, scan ID, walk into lobby, glare at Martha, head up to Stark’s office. But Stark and Miss Potts were actually on the first floor for once, speaking to each other in a familiar, exasperated way when Darcy slowed her brisk pace to a walk and tugged her earbuds out to greet them.

     “Good morning,” Darcy handed her bosses their coffee and took a sip from her own, watching to see Miss Potts’ reaction. Wide eyes and another slow sip were all she got.

     “This,” She whispered, looking at Darcy with a slow smile. “I want this every day…” She trailed off as she took another sip before looking back at the young intern. “Can you give this order to my assistant?”

     “No can do, Miss Potts. Your assistant literally only goes to Starbucks, and I won’t let him corrupt you with that,” she pulled a disgusted face and fake shuddered before smiling again. “Plus, I don’t mind getting it, it’s on my way here,” that was a small lie, but Impatient Darcy Lewis didn’t want to go into explaining how she actually found The Grind and that it was out of her way, but not by that much.

     “Oooh, Miss Potts. So very formal, let me taste this,” Stark snatched the Mexican Coffee and took a long sip before promptly choking and shoving it back into Miss Potts’ hands. “Jesus fucking Christ,” he mumbled and took a long drag from his own daily dose of caffeine.

     “The best part is, Miss Lewis, that Tony can now never steal my coffee from me again,” her laugh was like little bells caught on a gust of wind and Darcy smiled proudly at making the woman laugh.

     “Anyway,” Stark grumbled, leading them both to the elevator. “We wanted to say congratulations on your employment with Stark Industries, and we’re just going to go through a little paperwork before we get you started for the day.”

     Tony sat immediately in his chair, though Miss Potts stood with Darcy.

     “So,” the woman said, taking Tony’s silence as a push for her to explain. Darcy was grateful, Tony often went on tangents and moved slowly, and Miss Potts would give it to her concisely. “Your payroll forms are all in order, your physical is all squared away and you seem to be in good mental and physical condition, however I do need to ask your permission to use the blood from your blood test to do a paternity test. We just found that you and possibly your mother as well didn’t know who your father is or was, and for possible security risks, we need to test this,” Darcy nodded along, albeit a bit confused. “It sounds weird, but we’ve had more than one worker that had an… overly excited family member try and break in or come here and start a ruckus, and we now just check for criminal backgrounds in closest living relatives of our employees,” she finished and Darcy shrugged.

      “That sounds just fine to me,” Darcy had no real need to know who her father was. She stopped asking a long time ago, and stopped caring as well. He was dead, he didn’t know she existed, or he chose to leave, and she would be alright with any of those options, because she had no emotional attachment to the man, and was only curious about the origin of her intelligence. Stark let loose a sigh and stood.

     “With that over, we’re just changing your job description a little bit. You’ll still shadow Happy, Pepper, and myself, but you’ll also be given clearance to work in my lab while I’m not there to keep working on whatever is being worked on. I could use a little help from time to time,” Oh Lord, Darcy couldn’t wait to get her hands on some of that tech and- “And lastly. We have gifts, as a sort of congratulations for finally being a paid employee,” Darcy’s eyes widened as she looked back at Miss Potts, who smiled and handed her a small clothing box. Inside was a beautiful black silk knee-length skirt with a matching tailored suit jacket, but when she brought it into the light to look at it, it actually shone with a barely-there iridescent turquoise shimmer. Beautiful and- _Armani!_ Darcy nearly fainted as she pointed her shocked face at Miss Potts for an explanation.

     “It’s time to start your collection,” Miss Potts only turned her by her shoulders to look at Stark, who was holding out a smaller box to her. He opened the top for her to look in. They were heels, not black like the outfit, but a turquoise suede that matched the iridescence of the clothes, but when she went to pick one up and saw the sole of the shoe… Darcy was five seconds from swooning when Miss Potts pushed her gently into the chair next to her. _Louboutin’s._ Darcy had died and gone to Heaven. Nothing else explained Tony Stark and Pepper Pots sending her to college and having her work for them and giving her Armani and Louboutin’s.

     “I think you should go try it on,” Miss Potts said softly and tilted her head in the direction of Starks personal bathroom… and also changing room, she realized when she entered. Darcy didn’t know if it was creepy or amazing that everything fit her perfectly. When she emerged, wide eyed and kind of enjoying the pain of her heels if it meant they were Louboutin’s, Miss Potts gave her a subtle thumbs up and Stark nodded.

     “You look like someone who works at Stark Industries. But keep the other outfit, you might want to keep a spare pair of clothes for working in the lab,” he laughed good-naturedly, like it was normal to call Darcy’s best button up a spare pair of clothes. But maybe it would be. _Maybe,_ she thought, _maybe this one was a gift, but if I keep at this, I could earn enough to get myself more good quality work attire. I could look as good as Pepper Motherfucking Potts, who is my boss!_ She squealed in her internal monologue, but externally she thanks her bosses exuberantly and took her own Mexican coffee in hand before strutting out of that office like she belonged there. Because soon she would.

     She stopped on the first floor to check for any mail from Culver, even though she had everything she needed, but wanted to stop on the first floor for a moment before heading up to find Happy. And, honestly, the look on Martha’s face was worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For real though, I love Starbucks, if only for convenience but also creativity. I use the mobile app to pre-order stuff to pick up and also frappuccinos are basically revolutionary. While their actual coffee isn't the best, I have to give them credit.  
> But, I'm pretty sure Darcy would not share my opinion ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


End file.
